Hilda's Testimony | Sports Outreach

The dedicated members of Sports Outreach Institute are the hands and feet of Jesus in the work of transforming lives in El Salvador. They do this because their own lives have been greatly transformed in some way. Hilda, SOI El Salvador staff member shared with us her story of how she was very sick, forced to drop out of school, and angry at God, to being healed, back in school, and working with SOI sharing the Gospel and serving others!

“I am Hilda Lemus, I have lived in El Salvador for almost 12 years, but I am from Honduras. Most of my family members still live there except for my two older sisters that live abroad. Thank God I was born in a Christian home, so my parents instilled in me spiritual values and to have a relationship with God. I made my profession of faith and consciously accepted Jesus as my Savior at age of 13 and I was baptized at age of 14.

“I came to El Salvador in November 2008 for a medical treatment because of a problem in my throat. I had lost my voice for 3 years! While I was still very sick, I met Humberto in September 2008 on a mission trip he took to Honduras. He recommended a doctor to my parents to evaluate my health problem. That same year, after finishing my first year in college, I traveled to El Salvador with my parents to visit that doctor to treat my health problem. While there I had the privilege to meet Sal Farlise when he was visiting Humberto. At that time, neither Humberto nor Sal were working for SOI. Now, I know that I am here because it was God's plan to transform my life through them and SOI ministry. That is really amazing!

“Here in El Salvador, I am living with my aunt. I had to stay with her because of my long medical treatment. Before being part of SOI staff I was going to language and occupational therapy for two years, three times a week. But at the end it took me 5 years of treatment and a throat surgery to recover my voice. I am a “talking” miracle now! And it was Humberto and Mirna who supported me in all that because I did not know the country and my parents had to stay in Honduras. Humberto's family has been a big support for me in this country. I tell them that they are like my second parents. In the third year of treatment, the psychologist told me that I had to start studying something to keep me busy in a positive way or continue with my studies that I previously had to quit because of my health problem. So, I had the opportunity to transfer my high school degree to be valid in El Salvador so I could attend university. Humberto was the one to help me with the government process for that. God was at work again!

“Humberto began serving with SOI in 2012 and in 2013 I started in SOI as a volunteer. After some months volunteering, unfortunately, Humberto and Mirna had a very serious motorcycle accident and I had to help them as much as possible. I went home to Honduras for Christmas vacation to be with my family when Humberto called me and asked me if I was interested in helping him during their accident recovery and receiving a scholarship from SOI for the university. That was the best news I could receive because that very same day my father had told me that I would have stay in Honduras because he could not continue paying for both my studies and my medical treatment. His business was not doing well and there were more things to cover in the family. So, Sports Outreach supported me by paying for part of my monthly university payments to finish my studies, and Humberto and Mirna gave some of their own money for me to have the transportation to go to college. The ministry also supported me with the graduation fees when I finished my career graduating as a Math Teacher. God is good!

“I have been working in SOI from 2013 until now. It was Humberto who led me to reconcile with God because I had stopped living for Him and attending church. I was upset at the Lord and wondering why these things were happening to me. I was 18 when I came to El Salvador and too young to understand God’s will for me. Humberto is a faithful man and his passion is to share the Word of God with whoever, whenever and wherever he is. There is no meeting of SOI in which Humberto does not share about God with us.

“SOI gave me a scholarship to finish my last year in college in the Math teaching career. When I graduated, Sports Outreach Institute hired me with a part-time job salary because I continued studying to get my bachelor’s degree in Education majoring in Elementary School Teaching. With this new salary I started supporting my family in Honduras and helping my aunt here in El Salvador while continuing to pay for my second degree in college. I am so grateful first to God, then to my parents for always supporting me from the distance with their love and prayers, then for Humberto and his wife for “adopting” me here in El Salvador, also my aunt who has welcomed me in her home, and Sal Ferlise SOI CEO for being a big blessing in my life since we met. God is good!

“Humberto says: “Take advantage of studying as much as you can, because all will help you in life.” I am a proof of that now. For example, speaking English because I can use it in my job all the time. All communication, and reports are prepared in English for our leaders in USA. Of course, my English is not perfect, but it has opened doors for me through the ministry. Thank God that through SOI I have grown in faith, love, passion, and obedience to share the Gospel through any activity I do in the ministry.

“I started with SOI as Humberto's assistant working in the accounting office. The ministry has been growing since then and therefore, so have out responsibilities. We started with Mirna Alférez registering children for the EmpowerMe child sponsorship program, and then, to support her with the vision she had of a Handcraft program for people from La Cuartería and Tomás Rodríguez communities. A program that has been running since 2014 in those communities with children, youth and adults every Saturday.

“Now, my main responsibilities in SOI under Humberto’s supervision and guidance are:

SOI Director´s assistant.
Take care of the administrative work of the ministry.
Prepare payrolls, payments, and accounting reports.
Support Mirna in the Handcraft Program and discipleship with teenagers.
Participating on purchasing, marking the plastic bags, packing, and distributing the groceries every month under Mirna and Humberto leadership for our children of the EmpowerME Program.
Designing letter formats and templates for the children of the EmpowerME Program.
Translate and send children's biographies of the EmpowerME program to the US office when required.
Coordinate and support Humberto with the logistics of the mission trips teams that visit us every year.

“What drew and motivated me to be part and work in Sports Outreach has been the passion of our local Director to help and serve the people in need, the fellowship, teamwork, and the way he treats us all as equals. It doesn’t matter if you are new or not in SOI you are a GUEST OF HONOR as Humberto says. Also, the opportunity that he and his wife have shown me to grow up in faith, passion, love and obedience to serve and share the Gospel through any activity we do in the ministry as the verse of Colossians 3: 23 says: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters”. So, we have learned that each thing, no matter how small or simple it seems, we must do it for God. This verse comes to my mind every time that we are working. Everything I know about ministry I have learned it through Humberto and Mirna who represent SOI mission far beyond my expectations. All to worship our Lord and King Jesus Christ!

“My dream and vision are to continue in SOI if God allows me, sharing and serving all those who need Him being able to share and disciple children and youth of our programs. So, this way they can develop their skills through the different programs, but above all they can learn from Jesus and receive him in their hearts. Of course, we are not perfect, and all have weaknesses. I do love learning new things and never giving up because I know that if we try hard as His Word says everything is possible. I believe this. Right now, I am studying to get my master degree on Financial Administration.

“I love and enjoy everything we do in SOI and everything related to my work but one of my favorite things is doing community outreach, to be able to share with children, youth, and parents. Another thing is to visit the Vito Guarato Home orphanage, a very special place that is also supported by SOI. This place is full of love!

“The SOI El Salvador family is who we are because our leader and Director, Humberto Alférez, is a faithful man who has taught us to serve and give to others the best we have with our hearts, to work by faith and love for others, not waiting for human retribution, but to honor the Lord and for His glory!”

Hilda’s story is just one of many stories of the transforming power of the power of the Gospel. We are so thankful for her and the rest of the team in El Salvador.

Please join us in praying for the team, their volunteers, their programs, and all those that are impacted by their ministry would have hope continually restored and lives transformed by the power of the Gospel!

If you would like more information on the work done in El Salvador, CLICK HERE!